Power Within
by CodPor
Summary: An encounter with a servant of Chaos sets Terra on a whole new path. Will she find her crystal, or will the discord in her heart consume her?
1. Dragon's Neck

_"No human is born with the powers you have..."_

* * *

The sword feels uncomfortable in her hands. It is as familiar as an old friend, but it has gone too long unused. She has to stop herself from using magic; it has become almost a reflex. She let herself grow accustomed to using it, until it was easy - too easy.

A slow swing, and she brings the length of metal across, parrying the enemy's blow. Her muscles begin to recall the countless hours of training. Her mind begins to recall the faces of those she once sparred with.

Another swing, low, and she steps back. Her blade comes up and nicks the enemy's hand. She recalls the arts mastered by her comrades; fencing, bushido, ninjutsu. She was master of none, yet apt with the sword nonetheless. Her body and mind return to the fields of battle. She watches.

He steps back, and she moves in, bringing her blade forward. Her strike is graceful, but not strong. Her muscles remember, but memory is not enough. His sword comes down, sending hers to the ground. She looks for an opportunity, but he is vigilant. Giving her no opening, he claims the weapon. Her mind sees a treasure hunter, smiling, his latest prize in hand. But he is not there.

Firion tosses the sword back to her, and she catches it by the handle. He does smile, now, and speaks with the voice of a cordial ally.

"Going on the attack is always a risk," he instructs. "A good defense," he continues, displaying the small cut on his hand, "is sometimes more effective."

"This is helpful," she tells him. "I'm starting to remember some of my old technique."

A voice from beside her catches her attention. "That's good, Terra. A balanced approach to fighting can help a lot, especially when you don't know who you'll be facing." Her young guardian steps closer, wearing his usual serious face. "Who knows what else we'll run into looking for your crystal? Your magic might not always be enough."

She feels that doubt within herself, as well, but she is hesitant to share it with her companion. Instead, she smiles. "I'll have you there with me, won't I?"

He doesn't answer, and a strange look crosses his face. She wonders if she said something wrong.

"Well, if you want to work on your physical ability," Firion says, "why not start with some exercises?" He looks around the ruined arena, noting the railings connecting the stage they stand on to the semicircular walkways in the distance. His eyes are drawn to the giant sword forming the centerpiece of the arena. "Let's start with some running. To that sword, all right?"

Terra nods, then begins to run, Firion keeping pace alongside her. She looks at the way he moves, and notices he is surprisingly agile for all the weapons he carries. With a bit of embarassment, she realizes that he is moving far more gracefully, and could probably outpace her with ease, weapons or no.

She can feel her blood flowing with the activity, and is feeling more able when she reaches the sword. To her surprise, Firion doesn't stop with her. Instead, with a hop, he steps onto the face of the sword and begins running upward, grabbing the giant handle at the top and planting his feet on top of the blade.

She steps back, and looks up at him in awe. "How did you do that?" she asks.

"Lots of practice. But it's simpler than it looks." He gestures to the other side of the handle. "Why don't you give it a try? Give yourself some room, then run onto the face."

She is hesitant, but decides to give it a try. She steps back several paces, then runs forward and hops onto the wall the way she saw him do it. For a moment, it feels like she has it. Then she watches her feet go racing up in front of her and spins backward into the air. Regaining her balance, she lets herself rise up to the top by a more instinctive method, floating with her legs dangling below.

When she lands, clumsily, on the top, she is surprised by Firion swinging around the handle and standing beside her. He looks at her, impressed. "I didn't know you could fly," he says.

"Oh, that..." She looks away. "It's magic, though. It won't help where I'm weak."

"Don't be so sure of that," Firion says. He looks out over the empty expanse between the stage and the stands. "I've got an idea. Get your sword out." She does so, though she is uncertain of what he intends to do. "Now, I'll jump out there-"

"What? You'll fall!"

"Not right away. I've got a few tricks for that. After I jump out, I want you to follow me." He gestures to her sword. "When you get close, go ahead and try to attack me."

"In midair?"

"Exactly. I want to see how agile you can be in the air."

She looks out over the expanse. It's certainly too far to jump, and there is nothing below but the edge of this world. However, she trusts him to take care of himself. She trusts her own abilities as well. "All right," she says. "Let's do it."

Firion nods, and leaps out without further comment. Terra allows herself only a moment of hesitation before following him, floating gracefully through the air. She watches as he uses an acrobatic flip with his cape to control his descent, but she knows it will not get him across. Shouting a warning, she launches herself toward him and swings.

The sword clashes with his small shield, much more forcefully than Terra thought she was capable of. Firion is sent flying backward. When he regains his balance in the air, he shouts "Again!"

Terra repeats the maneuver, and Firion is knocked back into the stands. Dipping a bit in the air, she floats toward him and lands. Sheathing her sword and approaching him, she asks "Are you all right?"

Getting back on his feet, he turns his torso right and left, then stretches his arms. "I wasn't sure that would work. You really are stronger than you look."

"I hadn't meant to hit with such force," she says. "Are you injured?"

"Not at all," he tells her, reassuringly. "That was impressive, Terra."

Hearing a shout from across the chasm, they turn to see the young knight standing at the stage's edge. "Terra! Are you all right?"

She gives him a reassuring wave and shouts "I'm fine, Sir Knight!"

The boy sighs and shakes his head.

"Let's see, now..." Firion says. "What should we work on next?"

"Firion, here you are." A man wearing a tight suit of black armor approaches. Despite his intimidating mask, he speaks gently. "You slipped away so suddenly. Did something happen?"

"No, nothing serious," Firion replies. "I ran into two of our allies and I was taking the opportunity to train with them."

"Is that right?" the armored man looks at Terra. "I hope he wasn't too rough. Firion's training can be... harrowing."

"Not at all," she replies. "I found it very helpful."

Firion smiles at his friend. "This was only a bit of athletic practice, Cecil. Not as stressful as my toughness course."

Cecil laughs, a pleasant laugh that doesn't seem to fit his appearance. "Well, you should probably let Tidus know you're all right. He's convinced you've been carried off by some villain."

"I'll be right there." Firion turns to his student. "Terra, you have an inner reserve of strength that you aren't using. If you can tap into that strength, you'll be better equipped for the challenges ahead."

Terra nods. "I'll try to find it. Thank you."

Firion and Cecil say goodbye to the girl, and she returns to the stage where her knight is waiting.

"So that was Cecil..." he says.

"He looked scary, but his voice was kind," Terra replies.

"You can't always judge by appearances," the boy says, putting on his thoughtful face. "Dark knights may be intimidating, but their power isn't truly evil."

"That isn't something I expected to hear from a warrior of light," Terra says, smiling.

The boy shakes his head. "It's the most important thing for us to understand. Light and darkness form a balance that's essential to order in the universe. If the light ever became too powerful, we'd need people like him to correct it."

A voice from above startles them. "But the light isn't powerful now. It's the darkness you gotta worry about." The two of them look up at the sword to see a rough-looking man sitting on the top.

"A servant of Chaos?" The knight moves to guard Terra.

"You got it. But there's only one person I'm supposed to fight, and it ain't either of you. I'm here to tell you somethin'." He drops down to the stage floor, sending dust into the air as he lands, and the two Warriors of Cosmos take a few steps back. Up close, they can see a large tattoo on his chest. "A warning, see. Word is you got a problem you're not dealin' with. A big one."

The knight eyes the man suspiciously, holding his sword at the ready.

"You, girl." The man points at Terra. "You've got power, but you don't know how to control it. That's dangerous."

"You don't know anything," the boy says.

The man gives him a dirty look. "If you think you're safe, you'll find yourself in hot water soon. That weird clown is cookin' up a plan to turn the girl to-"

"Shut up!" the knight shouts, rushing at the man and swinging his sword.

The man catches the sword in his hand and looks down at the boy. "Guardians don't usually attack unarmed men." He pushes the sword aside and turns away. "Huh. Fine. Don't say I didn't try to warn you." He walks across the stage and hops off the side, disappearing.

The knight lowers his sword, not turning to face his companion.

"Onion Knight..." Terra starts, uncertainly. "What was he talking about?" The boy doesn't answer. An odd fear growing within her, she asks again. "He said I have power. What did he mean?"

"Terra..." Onion Knight turns to look at her, but only manages to stare at her feet. "You can't trust Chaos's minions. He was probably-"

"You're lying." The words come out of her mouth before she even realizes it. "You know what he was talking about. What is this power I have that Kefka is trying to use against me? What's going on?"

"Terra, it's..." He lifts his gaze to meet hers. "It's nothing-"

"You're hiding something important. You've been hiding it since you got your crystal." She lowers her gaze, hiding the tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, just tell me what it is."

The Onion Knight hesitates before giving his answer. "I... I'm sorry, Terra. I can't."

She steps back, looking at her companion in a strange new light. "I... I can't trust you." She takes a few more steps back.

"Terra, the ledge!"

She turns around and jumps outward, taking off into the air, a tear dropping from her face.

"Terra, wait! Come back! Terra!"

She tries to ignore his call. Hurt and confused, she flees into the sky, reaching the edge of the world shard and passing beyond it, into the darkness...

_

* * *

"Whenever I try to think, it just makes my head hurt..."_


	2. Valigarmanda

_"They feared that if they remained it would only be a matter of time before their powers were targeted again."_

* * *

In the darkness, Terra finds a door. Pushing it open, she finds herself in her past.

Metal and glass. Walkways. Railings. Staircases. Cylindrical containers, meant to hold her kind. The cries of those driven mad. The pain of ending their suffering. The sting of false words...

The Devil's laboratory.

Seeing it fills her with fear. Fear of returning to that life, of being reduced to that, of holding the remains of her kin in her hands. She tries to push these fears to the back of her mind. She tells herself those days are long behind her.

The laboratory is dead. The scientists who once worked here, tormenting the Espers for the sake of power, are gone. The creatures created here have abandoned their birthplace. Even the monsters that moved in afterward are nowhere to be seen. The lab is quiet.

Taking her thoughts from the past, Terra finds herself dwelling on the present. "What am I thinking?" she asks herself.

"You doubt your companion." The voice is familiar, and Terra turns to see an image of Cosmos standing beside her. "You do not trust him anymore."

"I... I don't know what to think," Terra says, hanging her head. "But... I shouldn't have left him behind."

"The Onion Knight is a capable warrior. He can defend himself. It is you who seek protection."

The goddess's words cut at her, but she knows they are true. She feels helpless on her own. "But I can't go back. I have to find the truth on my own."

"He deceives you in trying to protect you. The truth can do more harm than you know."

"Even so... I have to find and face it." Terra looks into the goddess's eyes. "If I continue to rely on others... If I don't believe in my own strength... I'll never find the crystal!" She drops her gaze again. "At least, that's what he told me..."

"You know where your heart leads you. Follow that path..." The image wavers, and disappears.

Terra silently thanks the goddess. "I still don't know what to do," she says under her breath, "but I'll search for that path." She turns around and reaches for the door, but is surprised when it suddenly opens against her. Moving to the side, she watches as an enormous man in black armour enters. A dark cape billows behind him as the door closes, and he passes by her without notice.

Terra feels suddenly very exposed. Moving to a nearby alcove - containing one of the empty glass tubes, but with plenty of room around it - she huddles against the wall and waits. The armored man walks across the catwalks spanning the middle of the lab, to another walkway on the other side. The open space of the large laboratory is broken up by several platforms with esper containment cylinders atop them, hindering her view of the other side. Feeling curious and a little braver, Terra quietly follows him, finding another container alcove tucked away on the other side of the lab. She sees another door at the end of the walkway, and a smaller, lightly-armored man approaching the knight of darkness.

Crouching behind the dirty, clouded glass, she listens. She hears the armored man continuing his stride, until the other man's voice gives him pause. The voice sounds masculine, soft but harsh, asking a question of the black-armored man.

He responds, his voice deep and oddly melodious. He rejects his comrade's question without emotion. The other man gives him a warning - or perhaps a threat - and then their conversation is over. Looking out from her hiding place, she catches a view of him walking past. Black clothes and long silver hair, a small smile on his face. As he walks by, he looks strangely familiar, cutting a romantic figure across her field of view.

Then he turns. He looks at her, hiding in the dirty alcove, bits of rust clinging to her from the disused metal. If he is surprised to see her there, he does not show it. He turns his head to look at the armored man, and Terra listens as a set of doors open and close.

"You can stop hiding, Terra," the silver-haired demon says, stepping away from the alcove. Her heart is pounding in her chest, and she can feel it in her whole body. This man is not as large or imposing as the other minions of Chaos she has encountered, but his tone and bearing exude an intimidating aura. She is almost too afraid to move, but she is more afraid of what might happen if she doesn't.

"That's right, no need to cower like a rat." With Terra standing, the silver demon sizes her up. A disapproving expression crosses his face. "You don't look well," he says. She almost believes he is concerned. He turns and walks to the edge of the walkway, resting his hands on the rail and looking at the room. "I shouldn't be surprised. This place makes me uneasy, as well."

"You-" the words catch in her throat. Swallowing, she tries again. "You know this place?"

"It is not so different from my own world. Dirty, and in ruins, but still familiar." He lets out a single, bitter chuckle. "With stone walls, and perhaps some bookshelves, it would almost look like my... 'home'." He laughs quietly, a hint of hatred burning beneath his voice.

She feels a strange connection to him, sensing the scars beneath his pure exterior. He seems almost familiar. She lets down her guard, only for a moment. "I watched my people suffer and die here, before I even knew them. I hate this place... but it is all I have of my world."

"Such a shame," he says, shaking his head. "You will have to fight here, by all accounts. Your opponent among Cosmos's forces will come here to face you for her crystal."

It suddenly dawns on her. He believes she is on Chaos's side. He turns to look at her, and she cannot hide the fear on her face.

He looks away again, sighing. They stand there like that, Terra frozen in fear, the silver demon looking out at the lab.

"Terra..." he starts, only barely showing his uncertainty. "We're enemies, aren't we?" His disappointment is evident. Terra steps back into a ready stance, and in a split second he is armed and facing her, the rage of battle in his eyes.

He swings an oversized katana horizontally, a split second's duck away from severing her head then and there. With a shriek, she lets out a blast of ice, knocking him off the walkway.

For a moment, she considers drawing her sword. It is too early, she decides, and too serious an opponent. Instead, she begins running along the walkway, hoping to put some distance between her and the black-clad man. He appears in her peripheral vision after a moment, climbing nimbly back onto the walkway. She turns around to see him advancing in quick steps, slashing a storm toward her. She shields herself, but is knocked back by the force of his attack.

Watching her scrabble to her feet, the swordsman asks "Where are your fangs, Terra? Where is your fire?"

Flustered by his attack, Terra releases the first magic that comes to mind, sending a flame racing along the ground toward him. He spreads out his arms and lets the spell connect, blasting him into the air.

She runs to the door behind her, opening it and running through. Suddenly, she feels trapped by a crushing force, and is pushed violently back into the room. In front of her, through the door, the edge of the shard appears clouded. Her heart sinks as she realizes she is trapped.

"Where is the dreaded witch who once burned all in her path?" the swordsman asks. He is on his feet again, advancing slowly toward her. "Who is this coward, running from her battles?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Terra cries, backing up against the wall.

"You've forgotten who you are," he tells her, gripping his weapon in both hands. "I'll show you the darkness that makes you strong!"

Four balls of clouded light appear around Terra, closing in on her. Feeling her magic coursing through her body, she slams her hands against the floor, directing her energy toward the swordsman. A sudden blast of water from below sends him off his feet, disrupting his concentration. The lights disappear.

"That's it," he says, landing easily. "That's the power you're holding back." Running toward her again, he shouts "Let it loose!"

"Stay AWAY!" she screams, shooting another chunk of ice at him. He easily splits the chunk in two with a vertical slice, barely slowing in his advance. The next slice connects with her arm, knocking her painfully against the wall. She slumps down, gripping her bleeding arm.

The swordsman reaches down and picks her up by the shirt, swinging her around and releasing her, letting her stumble into the railing. Before she can regain her balance, three more slashes connect with her back, the last one hard enough to send her flying out across the lab. She collides with a glass canister standing on a raised platform in the center of the room. The glass shatters, dozens of razor-sharp pieces cutting into her, and she lands, crumpled at the bottom of the canister.

She lays there, breathing quickly, blood pouring from countless wounds both great and small. She sobs through clenched teeth, the pain nearly overwhelming. Instinctively, her muscles tense up, and she feels the pain focus in her mind. Suddenly, her body begins to move on its own, and she rises into the air, a flash of light bursting out from her.

Suspended in the air, she locks eyes with the swordsman, who flashes a cruel smile. She feels the shards of glass being pushed out from her wounds as they close, but she doesn't look at them. Her eyes do not move, staring into her opponent's, burning with hatred.

"I have to fight..." she says, her voice boiling with rage.

"So fight," he replies, holding his sword at the ready.

Her muscles don't need to move to launch her body toward him. Even so, she moves like a predator leaping to the attack. His long blade waits, but she gives it little mind, brushing it bloodily aside with an arm that heals all too quickly. In a moment, she is on him, slashing his sword arm away with claws that weren't there before. He falls to the floor. Blood raging in her veins, she descends on him, tearing away the black leather and goring his chest.

He does not scream. Pushing off the ground with his arms, he launches the two of them into the air. Terra loses her balance, and he kicks her away. In a flash, his katana returns to his hand, and she is met with a storm of slashes.

From within her, another storm emerges. Whirlwinds surround her body, picking up the shards of broken glass behind her and drawing the swordsman into a razor-sharp tempest. Her power flows out into the storm, unhindered by fear or hesitation, and feeds its winds more and more until she can no longer sustain them. When the winds subside, the swordsman is sent plummeting to the floor below.

She descends toward him, and he begins speaking again, this time in a low groan. "I want you to remember what brought this out, Terra." He looks up towared her, and she locks her gaze with his, ready to strike again. "Tell me, what is it you fear?"

She does not move, the only thought in her mind the instinct to survive. "Let me drive you to your limit..." He spins on the ground and rises to his feet, leaping into the air with his sword trailing behind him. She drops toward him. "Let me give you what you fear!" They collide in midair, spinning around one another until the swordsman pushes her away, upward.

She tries to regain her balance, twirling above him as he launches himself toward her again. His blade connects, sending her up, and in a moment he is there again, his strike sending her further upward. She tries to focus, to regain her bearings and strike back, but her preternatural senses are fading, and her mind is growing clouded with concerns outside of the fight.

Below her, she sees a city. Little buildings huddle among the surrounding mountains, as snow falls around her. In the mountains, she sees familiar faces looking up as she flies away. She doesn't want to abandon them, but the pain and confusion keep her from staying. She was never human, she knew. This monstrous form was always waiting beneath the surface.

A final slash sends her into the ceiling. The metal panels crack and bend around her. As she falls out of her impact crater, she feels weakness invading her body. For a moment, she wishes she could remember. No longer posessing the strength to fly, she falls through the lab, to the floor below. She lands gracelessly, feeling the pain of the impact in her whole body as she lies face-down on the cold, rusty floor.

Only a few moments pass before she hears boots land next to her. The swordsman roughly turns her over with his foot, looking down at her with an expression she can't understand. "That position is unbecoming of you," he says evenly.

A shrill, menacingly familiar voice calls out from behind him. "That's hardly any of your business, is it, Sephiroth?" the voice asks.

He turns to look, but both of them know who it is. Kefka, the mad mage, enters Terra's bleary field of vision. "If you haven't noticed, you're playing with MY toy. Why don't you buzz off?" Kefka's annoyance is plain; his words come out in an exaggerated growl.

Sephiroth shakes his head, disappointed. "Such a great creature in the hands of an overgrown child..."

Kefka makes an aggressive motion toward Sephiroth, but the swordsman doesn't flinch. "She's mine! Mine, mine, mine! You know the rules."

"I don't work for Emperors anymore." He walks away. "No matter. I have my own puppet to play with."

Kefka watches Sephiroth leave, then turns to examine Terra. Fear courses through her, but she is too injured to flee. "What. A. Mess." He leans over her, bringing his face so close she can smell his rancid breath. "Can you hear me in there? Helloooo! I do hope you're listening, dear, because I HATE to repeat myself." He sounds, as usual, like he is not taking the situation seriously. Terra knows it's a flimsy act. "You see, I'm supposed to eliminate you. The problem is, you're just too weak!" His voice is getting louder, closer to an inevitable violent outburst. "They send ME to kill someone like YOU! Tell me, what's a God to DO?"

Every part of her mind is telling her to flee, but her body does not respond. She knows Kefka can become violent with little provocation, and now he is teetering on the edge of an attack that will surely kill her.

Something, however, is holding him back. "This just won't do, little monster. It won't work, not like you are now! And just like the last idiot who called himself Emperor, this one is leaving all the problem solving to me!" He sighs, looking away with an agitated expression. "So, for now, I think I'll let you go."

She continues to stare at him, unsure of his intentions.

"Oh, believe me, I'd like to stick around and play with you, but..." He pauses, looking ready to change his mind, then continues. "Eh, it might be more fun this way." He turns and prances toward a door. "Toodles!" he calls, and with that, he is gone.

She tries to muster the strength to stand. Rising to her hands and knees, she steadies her breath. Focusing on her injuries, she channels the weakened magic in her body to heal them. The process is agonizingly slow, but she manages to keep her mind focused on the task long enough to restore herself to able condition.

She lets her focus disperse, and other concerns once again invade her mind. She feels her throat clench at the thought of leaving the Onion Knight alone with these madmen roaming around. She rises and begins to head for the exit again, but stops. _"If what Kefka said about me is true,"_ she thinks, _"is there any point in returning? Perhaps the Knight really is better off on his own..."_

She shakes the thought from her head. "I don't know what to do," she says under her breath, "but I can't do any more here." Reaching the door, she takes one last look at the ruined lab before stepping into the darkness again.

* * *

_"If our power is used for destruction, the skies will darken and life will fade from the earth."_


	3. Angel Whisper

_"The fate that hangs about your shoulders is one far greater than you know."_

* * *

"Brink of anguish!"

As the manikin falls, Cecil lowers his sword and lets out a pained sigh. These opponents are not difficult, but every time he strikes the finishing blow, the darkness which he wields drains him further. The strain on his body is alleviated by the potions he discovers along the paths between worlds, but his mental exhaustion only grows.

He has set aside his duty to Cosmos to pursue his brother, and now he begins to doubt that choice. "If only I understood as he does..." Cecil shakes his head. "No. I must find him. If I can only speak with him, perhaps I will understand." (And perhaps I can save him...)

Stepping through the darkness between worlds, Cecil finds himself at the sanctuary. An endless field of shallow water, with streams of light crossing through the clouded skies above, it is a place of peace for the Warriors of Cosmos. However, that peace is marred by a stray manikin, a footsoldier of Chaos, wandering near Cosmos's humble throne.

Taking a breath, Cecil strides toward the creature, gaining its attention. He observes it as it comes closer, and readies his sword, wondering only for a moment how many more of these battles await him.

* * *

Terra, too, fights her way through the lifeless crystal soldiers of Chaos. Her body is recovering slowly from the wounds she received, but she cannot rest; not until she finds her crystal.

"I just need to stay focused," Terra tells herself. She sees her next opponent approaching in the distance. Knowing the manikins are merely replicas of the warriors of Cosmos and Chaos, she is not surprised to see her own figure striding toward her. She draws her sword, seeing an opportunity for practice. "I know I'll find my crystal soon," she says, standing at the ready for the manikin's attack.

A familiar voice shocks her out of her stance. "And if you don't? Will you fight on forever?" The voice seems to come from her opponent, but it is undistorted; it sounds like her voice.

Terra steps back. "Wh-what did you say?" she asks, unsure if she really heard it.

"You battle on and on," the manikin continues, "yet your crystal remains beyond your sight." This time, she is sure she sees its lips move. A chill runs down her spine. "That is the fate of a minion of Cosmos."

Gripping her sword, Terra faces her foe with shaken determination. "You're wrong," she says unsteadily. "You're... you're not real! Go away!"

"Do you remember what it was like?" it continues. "The joy of destruction. The feeling of power."

"Shut up! Stop it!" Terra feels her heart racing. She rushes forward, slashing at the manikin with desperate strength. The weak construct is struck down, a deep cut in the crystalline surface breaking its verisimilitude. Terra stares at it, her breathing unsteady. "You're not real. Not... real," she tells it. The manikin is silent.

Trying to steady her breathing, Terra turns away from the broken manikin and walks toward the edge of the world-shard, hoping for comfort in another place. As she passes through the darkness between worlds, she hears echoes of her past: companions, old and new, teachers, soldiers - and among them, the cruel voice that taunted her from the manikin's lips.

"Why do you choose to be alone?" the voice asks.

"I don't know," she responds, feeling unsteady.

"You could be great. You were great, once." The voice carries the same disappointed tone that the silver demon, Sephiroth, had when talking about her. Hearing it in her own voice makes her feel sick. "Now you run from the one thing that brings you happiness."

"No," Terra replies weakly. She tries to reach out and grab the edge of another world, to escape the echoing voice, but there is only darkness.

"You are wrong to run from conflict," the voice in the dark continues. "It defines you. It is what you are."

Terra tries to muster a response, but every word she hears seems to sap her strength. She falls to her hands and knees, feeling a cold, hard surface beneath her.

"You cannot escape your nature. You will only shatter the peace you seek..."

The voice fades away. Around her, Terra finds a familiar, comforting sight. Blue stone pillars tower above a polished floor. The World of Darkness; the place where she and the Onion Knight once rested after he obtained his crystal. It has a certain calmness about it, and Terra gently rolls onto her back and rests.

"I'm safe," she tells herself, letting out a relieved sigh. Lifting her head off the hard tile, she sits up. She takes off the band of beads tying back her hair, letting its curls flow naturally down her back. Then she draws her knees toward her chest and holds the beads between her hands.

She tries to organize her thoughts, to make sense of what is going on, but she cannot focus. Some thoughts are too painful or terrifying to dwell on; others, she simply can't seem to grasp. Idly, she wonders if she was always this way, or if the abuse she underwent in her own world scarred her mind. There was a time when she was nothing more than a living weapon, a mindless slave to the same Emperor whom Kefka once served.

"Is that what the voice was talking about?" she asks herself. "I suppose I can never really leave that part of my past behind. But then, how would Sephiroth have known of that past? He isn't even from my world." She lowers her head to rest between her knees. "It's all so mixed up. It doesn't make sense."

Looking at the floor beneath her, she catches a glimpse of movement reflected in the tile. Startled, she looks up, but there is nothing there. She stands, taking a few steps backward. She looks at the floor again, but sees only her own reflection. "What's happening to me?" she asks aloud. "It's like I'm losing my mind."

In the distance, Terra hears the voice of the Knight, calling her name. She looks, and sees him running toward her. She sighs, relieved, and begins walking to meet him.

_"I still feel lost,"_ she thinks to herself, _"but as long as we're together, I won't give up."_

By the time she realizes the small figure coming toward her is not the Onion Knight, the manikin is already attacking. It hops forward and slashes at her several times, leaving Terra hurt and off-balance before jumping away. Recovering, she draws her own blade and rushes toward the manikin.

She cuts at it several times, but its quick movements keep it just ahead of her blade each time. When she relents, it fires off several spheres of lightning, which spread out to her left and right. She remembers this attack as a frequent part of the Knight's fighting style. It was quite useful against the simple-minded manikins, due to its delay before striking. She waits just a few moments, then leaps upward as the spheres home in on where she was standing, colliding with each other and exploding harmlessly.

Staying airborne, Terra focuses her own magic and electrifies the area around the manikin. It looks around quickly, then tries to roll between the arcs of electricity. The crystal figure flashes brightly as it receives a strong shock. While it is still off-balance, Terra drops to her feet and lets out a blast of fire, then follows it up with a rushing slash.

The manikin falls to the floor, no longer moving. Terra turns to walk away, but then hears the Onion Knight's voice again.

"Terrrraaaaaaa..." it calls, echoing through the area.

She turns toward the manikin and slashes at it again and again, until its form is no longer recognizable. Breathing heavily and brushing her hair away from her face, she tries to regain her composure.

"It's not real," she tells herself. "It's just my imagination." The thought is not very comforting. Sheathing her sword, she steps away from the pile of broken crystal and begins walking toward the edge of the world.

She knows that more pain awaits ahead, but she cannot stay here forever. Whether it comes from enemies or her own doubts, danger hounds her wherever she goes. Doing nothing will only mean dying sooner. She steps out into the emptiness again, holding on to the faint hope that her crystal is not far off.

* * *

_"Have you made your decision?"_


	4. Wrexsoul

_"Are we gonna be all right in a place like this?"

* * *

_

Through the quiet, foreboding halls of Pandaemonium Castle, the Onion Knight travels in search of his lost companion. Though troubled by the events that led him here, he does not doubt his quest.

"I know I'll find you eventually," he says, in the explanatory tone he usually takes when speaking with his friend. "This broken world may be mixed up, but it isn't very big. If I'm diligent, we'll be together again in no time."

He stops walking for a moment as he realizes he is talking to the same person he is looking for. Shaking his head at his own silliness, he continues onward.

He emerges into a large room. On his left, a great pit stretches out to the other side of the room. What remains of the floor here is a walkway along the wall. At the other end of the walkway, he sees an entryway in the wall, framed by two great pillars.

"That was where we encountered that intimidating figure," the knight recalls as he walks toward the entryway. "Back then, I had to talk my way out of fighting him. But I've grown, haven't I? Maybe I could fight him next time..." Though he feels a sense of confidence as he turns to enter, he jumps back when he sees someone standing there.

It isn't the armored figure he expected, nor the castle's lord. Instead, a disheveled and disturbed Terra stands there, her head lowered and her eyes staring out at him from behind her tangled hair. Her breath sounds pained, and it is broken up by strange mumbling.

Recovering from his surprise, the knight greets his friend.

She does not immediately respond, and when she does, her voice is strained. "Not real... Not really you," she says, trembling.

"Terra?" The Onion Knight approaches her slowly. "What are you saying? Are you all right?"

"You're not real," she says again. "Just a..." She draws her sword, catching the knight off guard.

Suddenly, he realizes what must be happening. As fear builds up inside him, he tries to get through to her. "Terra, get a hold of yourself! You have to fight this! Don't let yourself lose control again!"

She swings the short blade from side to side, her eyes shut tightly. With each slash, chunks of ice coalesce in the air and slam into the pillars, breaking them apart. Opening her eyes again and gritting her teeth, she looks at the knight with unmistakable anger.

"Terra, please, listen to me!" he cries. Before he is even finished saying it, she is lunging toward him, her sword connecting with his unguarded arm and knocking him backwards. Stumbling off the ledge, he manages to jump across to a piece of floor on the opposite wall. He looks back at Terra and sees her looking at her own sword, droplets of his blood falling from the blade.

"Blood...?" she says, uncertainly. "His... blood?" Then, all at once, she drops the sword and looks at him with an expression of horror. "He's not..." She shakes her head, stepping back. "He's not..." She falls to her knees, covering her ears.

The knight jumps back onto the walkway and runs to her side, gently holding her without concern for his own safety. He tries to talk to her, to reassure her. She cannot hear him.

* * *

She stands on a raised platform, before an enormous dark throne. All around the platform an endless black battlefield stretches to the horizon, littered with discarded weapons. Above the battlefield, dark ashen clouds, lit only by the setting sun, rain fire down upon the charred landscape.

A voice calls her attention to the woman standing on the other side of the platform. It is her, unmistakably, though her stance and bearing are different. She looks back with hatred in her eyes. "Who are you?" she asks accusingly.

Terra cannot respond. Standing here, facing herself, she does not know the answer to that question.

Seeing Terra's uncertainty, her other self answers for her. "I am a killer. A beast of war, whose purpose is victory. I am an unstoppable monster!"

"No!" Terra screams.

"Shut up!" she responds. "You don't know anything. Running away from my power, my destiny! You're nothing but weakness."

"I'm... I'm not weak..." On the wind of the hopeless battlefield, she hears voices from far away. Many voices, allies old and new, and enemies as well. One of them, however, reaches her ears with an unmatched clarity:

"If you can tap into that strength, you'll be better equipped for the challenges ahead." The voice is Firion's, and his words fill her with hope.

"I can still fight," she tells herself.

The other Terra seethes with anger. "You can't do anything. I'll show you how strong I really am!" With that, she slams her hands into the ground. Recognizing her own attack, Terra leaps to the side as a jet of water shoots up where she was standing. She responds by firing an ice attack at her other self. It connects, though it does little damage. The double responds with the same attack, and once again Terra dodges and fires back.

Moving in close, she spawns ice chunks and slams the double with them, directing them with graceful arm movements. The double is knocked off her feet, but then hovers with her own power, calling upon another attack. Terra turns and runs away, fighting a strong air current as it tries to pull her into the whirlwind. She stumbles a little as the wind subsides, and turns to go on the attack again. Unslowed by her failure, the other Terra calls on another whirlwind. Terra stays back, letting the double waste her attacks.

This time, rather than rush in, she attempts to conjure a gravity field and slam the double into the ground. However, the attack is too slow, and she receives several blasts of ice for her trouble.

As Terra recovers, her double steps toward the throne at the edge of the platform. She seems to glow with power as she nears it, and fear fills Terra's heart. "This throne belongs to me," the double says. "I won't accept weakness!" Stomping the ground, she sends a trail of fire racing toward Terra. She doesn't react quickly enough, and takes the full force of the attack. She feels her skin burn, and her feet are lifted off the ground.

Her other self is on her before she can regain her balance. She grabs her, and tries to slash at her throat, but Terra kicks her away, up into the darkness above. Landing on her feet, Terra watches her double descend back onto the platform. Before she can attack again, however, she hears another voice on the wind.

"Don't let yourself lose control again!"

She freezes in place. Looking at her double's face, into her own rage-filled eyes, she realizes suddenly what the knight was trying to warn her of.

Her other self does not hesitate. Conjuring a blazing sphere of energy, she fires it at Terra at a speed she did not imagine she was capable of. Unable to dodge, Terra feels herself burned away in that light.

* * *

The Onion Knight clutches Terra, tears welling up in his eyes. "Please wake up," he tells her. "Please..." He buries his face in her shoulder and cries.

Then, with a sudden gasp, she is awake. The knight pulls away, still holding her and sobbing. With hope in his voice, he asks "Terra? Are you all right? How do you feel?"

Terra turns her head and looks at him blankly, before gently pushing him away and standing up. She looks around.

The knight stands up as well, wiping the tears from his eyes. He senses there is something wrong, but he doesn't understand it. Where she was rampaging with anger not long before, now she is eerily calm.

"Sir Knight," she says, addressing him familiarly yet coldly. "Don't follow me anymore. Stay out of my way." She turns and walks back through the entryway, toward a door leading out of the castle.

"What?" he cries, running after her. "You can't be serious! Where are you going now?"

She pauses at the door, and looks over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to find those servants of Chaos," she tells him, "and when I do, I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place." She opens the door and steps through as she talks. "I'm going to kill every last one of them."

The door shuts behind her.

* * *

_"We needn't keep up the charade any longer."_


End file.
